In The News: Possible GRU Changes, Pensacola’s Blanket Ban, Lawmakers May Fund Florida Universities Based on Performance, Florida to Alter School Grading System

City will continue to consider GRU governance changes – City commissioners expressed willingness Tuesday to continue to consider the possibility of changing the governance structure of Gainesville Regional Utilities. Such a move would require a referendum of Gainesville voters on whether to change the city charter.The Gainesville Sun

Pensacola’s blanket ban folds during cold snap – As the Panhandle braces for an “extreme freeze,” the Pensacola mayor — after some “reflecting and praying”– has decided not to support a year-old city law that makes it unlawful for the homeless to sleep on public property with a blanket. The temperature is supposed to drop to 37 degrees tonight in Pensacola. Orlando Sentinel

Florida looks to alter (and simplify) A-to-F school grading system – The grading plan, put in place in 1999, has been under fire in recent months, criticized as overly complicated and not a true gauge of school quality. The new plan is to focus on grades in two key provisions: how many students were proficient on state tests and how many improved from the previous year.Orlando Sentinel

Lawmakers consider pay-for-performance for Florida universities – The Legislature is considering a new initiative to fund Florida universities based on performance, a move that could result in financial gains for some schools and significant losses for others. The new system would score universities up to five points for “excellent” or improvements on 10 key measurements.SaintPetersBlog